The low pressure area over Bay of Bengal may set a record of bringing rare summer rain during early March. The Meteorological Department has predicted widespread rain over the State on Friday and Saturday and it may intensify into very heavy rain spell in some districts.
March is usually a dry period in Chennai with an average monthly rainfall of hardly 3.5 mm. However, meteorologists expect the low pressure area over southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining Equatorial Indian Ocean to become well-marked and move towards the Sri Lankan coast.
As the weather system moves west-northwestwards, rainfall intensity may increase from scattered to widespread from Thursday. While light to moderate rain may occur in many places over the State, Puducherry and Karaikal on Friday and Saturday, some districts may experience heavy to very heavy rain in one or two places on both the days.
On Friday, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur over Villupuram, Cuddalore, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, Puducherry and Karaikal. Districts such as Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Perambalur and Tiruchi may receive isolated heavy rain.
More districts, including Chengalpattu and Cuddalore, may be covered with heavy to very heavy rain on Saturday. One or two places in districts such as Kancheepuram and Tiruvannamalai are likely to experience heavy rainfall.
S.Balachandran, Deputy Director General of Meteorology, Chennai, said “We have had pre-monsoon cyclones during May and rain events during March-end too. But, the weather system during the first week of March is unusual.”
Chennai too has prospects of light to moderate rain on Friday and Saturday. But, there will be more clarity when the system moves closer, he said.
According to the IMD data, Chennai had received previously record rainfall of nearly 14 cm in March 2008. The city registered its all-time high March rainfall of 26.2 cm in March 1944.
Earlier on Tuesday, M.Mohapatra, IMD’s Director General of Meteorology, said southern peninsular region, including Tamil Nadu, are likely to experience below normal maximum temperature during summer months. Releasing the seasonal outlook for March to May, he said in March, the maximum temperature is likely to be normal to below normal in most of the south peninsular region, including Tamil Nadu. The State may experience normal to above normal rainfall during this month.
